By Daily Mail (U.S.) | Created at 2025-01-09 17:06:44 | Updated at 2025-01-10 02:51:38
9 hours ago
Outgoing Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau got a chance at the Jimmy Carter memorial service to size up the man who wants to absorb his country as the 51st U.S. state.
Trudeau was seated among the pews of mourners as the nation said farewell to the 39th president.
He cast a side-eye look at Trump as the president-elect and first lady Melania Trump went to their own seats, at an event filled with awkward encounters, including former second lady Karen Pence failing to shake Trump's hand and the lonely entrance of Vice President Kamala Harris and second gentleman Doug Emhoff directly in front of the 'president's club.'
Trudeau knows Trump well, having clashed with him during Trump's first term, and having dined with him at Mar-a-Lago after Trump threatened during his transition to slap big tariffs on his country's products.
But the strains have grown more intense, even as Trudeau announced he is stepping down as head of his party, amid Trump's repeated threats to take Canada, staying flat-out he would apply 'economic force.'
Trump continued to stir up the idea as recently as Wednesday, when he posted a map of the U.S., Canada, and Greenland showing the mass of territory that he has been publicly eyeing.
That came after he posted a map showing the combined U.S. and Canada labeled as the 'United States'. Another said simply 'Oh Canada!' with an image of the huge land mass covered in the Red, White, and Blue.
Canadian PM Justin Trudeau cast a glance at President-elect Donald Trump as he enter the Washington National Cathedral for Jimmy Carter's memorial service. Trump has spoken repeatedly about making Canada the 51st state, and said this week he would apply 'economic force'
Trudeau is aware that Trump's moves may be mere negotiating tactics, but he and other world leaders can't entirely write them off, especially after a rambling press conference where Trump, 78, refused to rule out military force to reclaim the Panama Canal and to acquire Greenland, which he called an 'absolute necessity' for the U.S. to obtain.
'He does not look pleased,' wrote one Florida political observer.
Trump's comments have been compared to the Monroe Doctrine and the era of U.S. territorial gains and imperial expansion. Trudeau was seated next to Prince Edward for the event.
Trudeau lashed out at Trump's latest comments on his country.
'There isn't a snowball's chance in hell that Canada would become part of the United States,' Trudeau posted on X.
'Workers and communities in both our countries benefit from being each other's biggest trading and security partner.'
On Wednesday, amid horrific fires engulfing Los Angeles, he posted Thursday about 'Neighbours helping neighbors,' with an image of a Canadian fire plane assisting in effort to battle the blazes, with small U.S. and Canadian flags.
Trump said adding Canada to the U.S. 'would really be something.'
'You get rid of that artificially-drawn line, and you take a look at what that looks like, and it would also be much better for national security,' Trump said at Mar-a-Lago.
